Love is Strange
by ElectricEnchantment
Summary: Baby was over the moon at finding a romance like Johnny, but everything seemed a little too good to be true, when Johnny stopped writing back and ignored her calls, Baby could only carry on with her life, until the following Summer...
1. The Summer that Changed Everything

**Chapter One**

"_The Summer that changed everything__**"**_

That summer I had packed up all my stuff and reluctantly left my home to keep both my parents happy, and to keep my sister- Lisa happy, since she wanted to get out more than anybody. My father was a lot like me, he didn't particularly want to go Kellerman's either, the only reason being was to keep his main patient happy, who was eager to get him up to Kellermans for the labour day weekend for a while now, my father simply gave in to get him off his back. My mother and sister were a lot like each other in ways, my mother enjoyed helping Lisa pick out her dresses and they both shared the same girly interests, wanting to always go out and socialize.

"Oh..." My sister sighed, as she sat in the car, on the ride home. "I wish we could've stayed longer." Lisa looked down, and began chewing her nails as she spoke with such despair. "Well, we would have dear, but you're father has work again soon and Kellermans was closing for the fall." My mother explained, putting on more lip stick in the front seat beside my father. "Can we go back next year Daddy?" Lisa said in a pleading tone, leaning against the back of the leather seat. "Please?" She begged. "We'll see, we'll see." He commented, keeping his eyes on the road. "No doubt Baby will wanna go back too." My sister made a snide remark, kneeling back on her seat, giving me a smirk as she rested the heels of her shoes on the seat beside my legs. I threw my book at her, with a loud laugh, motioning her to 'shut up'. I wondered about Johnny for a moment, and whether he would be working there next year- I knew he'd gotten the sack since he wasn't supposed to be messing around with the guests, but after his grand finale with me I wondered how they could let him leave. "So..." Lisa urged speaking in a tone only I could hear as my parents bickered in the front. "When are you gonna see you're dancer again?" She smirked again. "I don't know." I commented truthfully, we hadn't made plans to meet up, it was just a simple goodbye, but the goodbye didn't hurt because for a reason we both seemed to know we'd be seeing each other again real soon. "Oh come on! Do you expect me to believe that?" She scoffed. "Last night you just did the best dance off I'd ever seen and now you're telling me you don't know when you're gonna see him again?" Lisa said this with such disbelief it was hard for me to believe my own head.

"I don't know Lisa!" But I found I wasn't the same tone of amusement, she had made me think that maybe perhaps I was just another blow off that he was just messing around with me until the summer end. "What's the matter?" She said, sitting up, her face wiped with all joking. For a second I felt as though I might cry, I wondered how I had lived every day of my life with Johnny not being in one of them. My head buzzed, my heart thumped and I was close to begging my father to turn the car around, when I was reminded of what Johnny had slipped into my pocket as I said goodbye, he had winked at me- but I didn't check to see. My hand zoomed to my left pocket of my jacket, where I found nothing but a scrunched up piece of paper. I pulled it out, my fingers frantically pulling the folds apart. It read in scrawled handwriting; 'Johnny Castle,' along with his phone number, with an address at the bottom and a small note. 'This is my dad's address, write to me there- Looks like I'll be taking up that job as a plasterer after all, at least until I find some work in the meantime.' My heart rose, and I found myself beaming again, before showing Lisa the note. I laughed in relief, even the mere sight of his name made my heart turn to mush- I wanted to be with him again, but sadly I couldn't, at least not yet anyway. "God, you're starting to turn into a lovesick teenager." Lisa frowned in a sense of disgust but I knew by her tone she was only joking, she sat back down on the leather car seat, resting her feet beside me, biting her nails again.


	2. Another Wasted Bowl of Milk

**Chapter Two**

_"Another Wasted bowl of Milk"_

I woke up to 'Hey Baby' by Bruce Channel blaring on the radio. My eyes darted open, as sat up on my bed to be faced with Lisa sitting on her bed at the other side of the room, her legs crossed as she wore a pale blue dress, with a mirror sat on the bed next to her, she balanced it between her legs as she curled the hairbrush around the ends of her hair, with the radio playing loudly on her bedside table. "Oh, sorry Baby, did I wake you?" She said as more of a comment, as she continued staring at herself in the mirror. "Oh no." I said sarcastically, pulling myself up from my bed and walking to my wardrobe, opening the door and bending down to pull out some clothes for today. "No," I continued. "You didn't wake me; but you probably woke up the entire neighbourhood." I said slyly. "Funny." She commented again as I grabbed my outfit and walked to the bathroom.

Downstairs at the breakfast table my father sat reading the newspaper, whilst my mother did the dishes behind him. "Morning." He beamed behind the paper, before he brought his eyes back to the paper. I went to pour out some cereal, realising how strange it was not to be doing what I normally would be at Kellerman's, I was back to normal life now. "Think anymore on college honey?" My mother asked me, as she placed a plate on the drying rack with her dripping, yellow washing up gloves. College? She knew what I wanted to be and which college I had decided on going to. "I'm going to Mount Holyoke, mom- you know that." I explained, as I poured cereal into the bowl and went to the fridge to get some milk. "Yes... But..." My mother turned around and looked at me with a serious expression, placing a hand on my father's shoulder, he was now brought to realization as he set his paper down and looked at me. "What?" I questioned in curiosity as my heart thumped in my chest now, afraid of what she was implying. "Well, both you're father and I have been talking and we were just wondering if you still wanted to be in the Peace Corps." She said, urging my father to say something. "Why would you ask that?" I asked, wondering why my mother had asked that question, didn't she know me? "Changing the world is a great ambition Baby, but after you're little number at Kellerman's a few weeks ago, both you're mother and I thought you might have set your sights a little differently." My father, he didn't beat around the bush about anything, he had said exactly what my mother had been implying, I was just grateful someone decided to tell me what they were talking about. "Oh..." I said, in a low, serious tone, looking anywhere by at my parents. "Right... Dancing." I said, in realisation of what they were talking about, I had never considered becoming a dancer, but now that they had brought it to my attention. "Well, we saw you a few weeks ago honey, and you looked so happy on the dance floor." My mother continued, "I mean, we just thought that you might want to rethink your ideas. You were fabulous; wouldn't you think it'd be a waste if you just left it?" Where my parents really doing this? My father wanted me in a top rise job; he would have never agreed to be being a dancer. "I thought you wanted me to be in the Peace Corps Daddy?" I asked in confusion. "Baby." He half laughed. "It's not what I want, you made me realise that I can't live your life- you have to do what you want, I mean, we just thought you looked happiest on the dance floor than you ever did when you were talking about changing the world." My father explained. "Now, I don't know if that had anything to do with that Castle boy, but you did seem to be having the time of your life out there." My father had reminded me of Johnny, and then it hit me- I couldn't dance without him. "I can't dance Daddy." I had blurted out in the discomfort of this situation. "What?" My father laughed. "What're you talking about- you were great out there!" He laughed in approval. "No Daddy! I was great because of Johnny; I can't be a dancer." I explained with a slight hint of fury, before slamming the milk carton down and running out of the kitchen back to my room, to be faced with my sister, who would ask what was wrong. "I knew you shouldn't have brought up that boy, Jake." I heard my mother say as she went to return the milk to the fridge. "I know, I didn't think." My father replied, lifting the paper again.


	3. Well don't you Feel like Crying?

**Hey everyone, thanks for the chapter alerts, I'm glad some of you like my story. I have 2 more chapters, but I'm still writing, so leave reviews of what you think and I might post the other two chapters soon, as well as some more once I'm finished writing. This story isn't pointless, it's been in my head for some time and it has a good twist- I promise its worth a read if you as crazy about Dirty Dancing as I am. Thanks again. (: Criticism is welcome, just try not to be nasty about it, thanks. **

**Chapter Three**

"_Well don't you feel like crying?"_

"But Baby, honestly- the guy hasn't returned any of your letters." Lisa tried explaining to me that Johnny was a player that only messed around with girls over the summer. "But Lisa, he told me- he said I was different- he told me he hated being used by the women who came to stay at Kellermans!" I protested. "Hah!" Lisa laughed, almost knocking her mirror over. "He told you he hated being 'used' by women?" Lisa laughed again and rolled her eyes. "And did you actually buy that Baby? He's a guy- he uses chicks. He probably just said that to get you off his back about the subject." She said, still doing her hair- how I wasn't sure of. "That's not true!" I claimed. "He loved me!" I said, my stomach churning as I said this, because I really never remembered either of us telling one another we loved each other. Lisa was right- he used me. "Look Baby, I'm not being nasty, you're my sister, I gotta' look out for you, but he hasn't written back to any of your letters and I think he screens all your calls." She was quite blunt about the subject, a bit like my father. "It's been four weeks." She pointed out to me, as I sat on my bed, thinking this entire situation over. "Look, all I'm saying is maybe Dad wasn't that wrong about the dancing thing." Lisa explained, finally taking her eyes off herself to look at me. "You were great out there, that night- with or without Johnny I'm sure you'd be great with another partner." She smiled, but I butted in, with my face full of all sorts of emotion. "No, but Lisa, you don't understand- every time I've danced it's been with him! He taught me everything I know, the only reason I could dance with him was because I loved him, dancing with someone else would just be wrong, and I don't think I could do as well." I said, panting, unable to take a breath through my speech. My sister furrowed her brows. "Oh Baby, stop being dramatic. How would it be wrong dancing with another person? Guys are guys, get over it- you were hit by a player, move on. Am I still fretting over Robbie? No. I'm going to see Jonathan Tracy tonight." She said his name with such pleasure; it sickened me. "Oh!" I frowned, and half shouted at her, making her look up at me. "How would you know? You've never been in love! The only reason you get over guys so fast is because you're just as big a user as they are!" I was now shouting in such agonized rage- I stormed out of the bedroom, grabbing my hooded jacket, the one I had worn when it was pouring rain and Johnny had taken me in his car to learn the lift back at Kellermans. "Hey Baby! You can't go around talking to people like that! I'm glad lover boy didn't write back, he probably realised you're just a jerk!" Lisa shouted, her words were harsh, but they didn't hit me painfully, because I was deep in thought and emotion. I thudded downstairs, refusing to cry- I couldn't, What me and Johnny had was real, I needed to think all of this over again, but by myself. "Where are you going honey?" My mother called from the kitchen. "I'll be back later." I retorted, slamming the front door behind me as I pulled on my jacket.

The sun had quickly turned to a heavy rain storm, as though the weather were mirroring my emotions. I sat on a bench in my local park, watching girls on bikes cycle around screaming from getting wet, old women who toddled along pitching up their umbrellas and a young boy who lifted up his small dog and ran home.

I simply sat here, on the bench as the rain bounced off it, with my hood up, sheltering me from the rain. My hands were dug deep within my pockets, as I thought about what Lisa had said. Maybe she was right- Johnny had treated me like a fool, and I was stupid enough to go along with it. He scammed me, I had helped his friend out and he had dumped me as soon as I had went home, as though he were using me, being nice to me because he had to- I was a fool for ever have believing him. I just wanted to be loved, and me being only seventeen, I was bound to get my heart broken, I mean he was Johnny Castle, older women, younger girls, all beautiful and glamorous- they loved guys like Johnny Castle, then there was me, a young schoolgirl and nothing else, I wore shorts and frumpy cardigans, I didn't attempt any make-up and my hair always stayed the same, he surely wouldn't have found anything interesting in me. For the first time, in a long time, I had allowed small tears to roll down my soft cheeks- not because I was missing Johnny, but because suddenly I felt my heart sink- I had been used, I was a laughing stock. It maddened me, but I couldn't be angry now, I was heartbroken. I let a small sob escape my lips as I brought my wet sleeve up to wipe my arrogant tears away. I was a fool, a mess, a rebound- whatever I was it wasn't good. I had truly loved Johnny Castle, I had fallen for a player- and even though he had used me I would give anything to be back in his arms again, just say the word. But he was gone, and I'd never see him again as I knew my father wouldn't go back to Kellermans, and even if he did, I doubted Johnny would still be there, as if I wanted to maintain another summer romance anyway. I swallowed loudly, not allowing the second sob to unfold through my lips, it created a heavy, painful lump in my throat, but I refused to let it out, and this entailed more tears- I tried with all my might to think about something else, to think about college, Lisa, the cereal I had poured out this morning, but I found my mind constantly zooming back to the one thing I wanted to block out- Johnny. With another loud sob, I brought my hands over my eyes to find myself sobbing into my jacket sleeves painfully- thinking of nothing but Johnny and how I loved him, as much as I wished to deny it, as much as I protested to Lisa that I didn't care if he didn't write back, I knew that I'd only ever admit the truth to myself, and here I was, alone, with no one to share my secrets to, sobbing over a boy- I felt betrayed and pathetic, Lisa was right- I was just a lovesick schoolgirl, and my romance was over before it had even begun. I sat on the bench, letting my sorrow eat me up to the harmony of the rain, until a few hours later I had gotten out most of my grief- I walked around a while, so the redness in my eyes was fully gone before I faced my parents- but as I left the park that day, in the pouring rain, I promised myself it would be the first and last time I cried over Johnny Castle- I would go on to college and join the Peace Corps, I would find new friends and do something other than writing to Johnny to occupy my time- I promised myself that I wouldn't think or care about Johnny again- I would move on with my life, and if we crossed each other's paths in the future, I knew I would be a step ahead of him, a little wiser all the more. And with that knowledgeable thought in my head, I returned home.


End file.
